Improvement in combined snap-hook and buckle



J. H. CLEVELAND & E. McCONNELL. commnn SNAP-HOOK AND BUCKLE.

' flties'zf. Y Inventors. v M/%% MPEKERS, PHOTO-LITHDGRAPHER. WASHINGTON D C UNITED STATES JEHIAL H. CLEVELAND AND EDWAIID MGCONNELL, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS TO THEMSELVES, PETER V. CARROLL, AND STEPHEN A. WALL, ALL OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN COMBINED SNAP-HOOK AND BUCKLE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 195,260, dated September 18. 11577; application filed November 11, 1876.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, JEHIAL H. CLEVE- LAND and EDWARD McOoNNnLL, both of Buffalo, Erie county, New York, have jointly invented certain new and useful Improvements on a Combined Snap-Hook and Buckle; and we do hereby declare that the following description of our said invention, taken in connection with the accompanying sheet of drawings, forms a full, clear, and exact specification, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our present invention relates to improvements on a combined snap-hook and buckle; and it consists in the arrangement of parts and details of construction, as will be first fully described, and then pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings hereinbefore mentioned, Figure 1 is a perspective view of one of our improved snap-hooks and buckles combined.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section. Fig. 3 is a plan. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a fragment of the buckle and hook, and Fig. 5 a plan of the spring.

Like letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the various figures.

A is the hook and B the buckle, both being produced in one piece of metal. The hook consists of the curved claw or hook proper A, and of the bifurcated bar A, connecting said hook with the frame of the buckle, and terminating in the cross bar 0 thereof. The buckle B consists of the two side bars D D, end bar E, and the bar C, the whole forming a rectangular frame, in which both side bars are further connected, near the cross-bar C, by the tongue-pivot F. This tongue-pivot has two projecting lugs, f f, serving as guides for the tongue G. S is the spring, fastened in the cross-bar C by means of'the lugs b b, as shown in Fig. 4, in the following manner: The spring S, being notched on its rear end, as shown in Fig. 5, is placed between the projections or lugs b b, and these forced toward each other, to slightly overlap the butt-end of said spring, and then riveted or hammered down, so that the metal, having previously formed the lugs,

will now completely overlap said spring, and, entering the notches L, securely rivet and retain the spring in position. P is a short leather strap, perforated at suitable intervals, and serving, in conjunction with the device hereinbefore mentioned, many useful purposes--for instance, as a holdback or as a line-strap, when the two extremities of said strap are buckled to the tongue in the usual manner, and the loop thus formed passed over the thills; or, as shown in the drawings, as a line-strap; or one end of the strap may be passed over the tongue, and the other end passed from below through the space between the tongue-pivot and cross-bar C, and thence also through the tongue, which will make a very strong and durable fastening without sewing; or, in case the snap-hook should have been broken accidentally, the buckle will always serve as a common buckle.

It will be observed that the hook A terminates in the two branches A, whereby a space, X, is produced. This space or opening extends from the junction of the branches with the hook backward to the cross-bar C, so that there is no part of the metal composing the hook directly underneath or opposite the spring g. This arrangement of said free and unobstructed space below said spring forms an essential part of our invention, inasmuch as it prevents the accumulation of snow and ice between the hook and spring, which interferes with the bending down of the said spring, and lrequently causes its breaking when force is applied for the removal of the book. This tendency of the spring to break is further lessened by the front end of the crossbar C being rounded off, as shown in Fig. 2.

A further improvement over other snaphooks is the mode of attaching the spring to the cross-bar C by means of the notches L, in addition to the side projections b b, which will securely lock said parts together, while the two projections f f on the pivot F will retain the tongue Gin proper position. This tongue, it will be noticed, is clinched around the middle bar F, and rests upon the rear bar E, thus acting in the usual manner, and thereby retaining all the desirable fatures of the com- 2. The combination, with the cross-bar O, of the spring S, said spring being provided with notches L on its rear end, substantially as hereinbefore set forth and stated.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our invention we have hereto set our hands and affixed our seals in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JEHIAL H. CLEVELAND. L. s. EDWARD MGCONNELL. L. s.

Attest MICHAEL J. STARK, FRANK Hmson. 

